Formative Assessment/Learning Targets

Greenville Junior High and Greenville South Middle School have been working hard over the course of the last two years to transform their curriculum. Our Teachers have worked collaborativley by department/grade level in professional development sessions to develop common quarterly assessments and learning targets. The Common Quarterly Assessments are given four times a year at the Junior High and currently three times a year at South Middle School. The assessments mirror the Ohio Achievement Assessments given to students each Spring. The Junior High considers the second and fourth assessments to be an "Exam" and a special schedule is provided to help transition students to taking exams at the high school level. We also have successfully implemented learning targets in the each classroom grades 5-8 so students/teachers have a goal or "I CAN" statement or statements that provide students a clear understanding of what they are going to achieve each day. The "I CAN" statement or learning target takes the Grade Level Indicator (State Standards) and breaks it down into more kid friendly language so that it can be translated to the students in clear and positive manner. Teachers then assess student understanding of the learning target to determine if we need to reflect/re-teach or move on with the lesson. The Smart Response Systems referenced in the paragraph above under technology will help provide teachers with the real-time feedback that they need to help assess student understanding of the material presented. The daily learning targets and assessment then build up to the common quarterly assessment, which in turn build up the the Ohio Achievement Assessment. Teachers meet periodically during the year in on-going professional development sessions with Curriculum Staff from the Darke County Educational Service Center to align the curriculum, revise and develop common quarterly assessments, discuss and develop formative assessment strategies, analyze student data, and develop an educational framework for each year.